Layover

[curiousn 0]

Hi guys,

Now that I've got my visa, I'm starting to actually organize our trip. Those who have experience, could you please give me an idea how much time I should allow between flights for immigration and customs? I've been through it before, of course, but never as an immigrant and I have no idea how much longer that might take.

I don't want to miss my next flight or have to run through things but I also don't want to spend 10 hours at the airport.

Any ideas would be welcome.

Many thanks!

Oh and sorry if this is not the right forum.

[YuAndDan 153]

Give yourself 30-45 more minutes than your usual layover. Typically 90 min to 2 hours layover at the POE airport for customs and immigrations.

[pushbrk 12,569]

Give yourself 30-45 more minutes than your usual layover. Typically 90 min to 2 hours layover at the POE airport for customs and immigrations.

Actually, the minimum layover most travel agents will set up is two hours on an international flight. I recommend a minimum of three hours for an immigrant. You don't want them to have to deal with missing the connecting flight. If it's a really busy POE, add time. You'd be wise to specify the POE in your question.

[Jasman0717 9]

I am sure it varies by POE but when Claudeth came through LAX it took her 45 minutes form deboarding until she came out of the customs area and I saw her smiling little face

[curiousn 0]

Thanks guys. The reason I haven't specified POE is because I don't know what it is. The two most likely candidates are Chicago and Dallas, TX.

I'm thinking three hours should be sufficient - not less, maybe a bit more - but if anyone feels the urge to give me any more advice, don't hold back.

Thanks!

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Bruce's POE experience was 2 hours at Newark -- we're not sure what happened but he thinks that they literally "forgot" about him! He watched over a hundred people enter the room for secondary and get processed while he waited, and waited... He was the last person to be processed in the room -- seriously. The whole processing took about a minute, a minute he had to wait 2 hours for! Nothing was wrong with his papers, they just...overlooked him.

We also had to wait nearly 40 minutes to get to the head of the queue in the non-USC/non-GC line in the first place, so factor that in as well. Although plenty of people have shorter times, I would think you wouldn't want to take the risk. 3 hours would be my bare minimum. Heck, I'm travelling to Sacramento next week via Vegas and I'm giving myself 3 hours to change planes domestically!

Good luck!

[payxibka 10,045]

Layover requirements will vary wildly dependant on POE selected and time of day.... If you arrive at a less busy POE and your flight is the only flight being processed it will likely go very quickly... If however you arrive in Chicago or JFK and they are processing many concurrent flights at the same time it could be hours....

[curiousn 0]

That's interesting, elmcitymaven, I was under the impression that we could go through the USC/GC line. Last time we were in the States (in the midst of the IR-1 process but on a tourist visa) they actually told us to switch to that line from the non-USC line we had been in. Just based on the fact that I was with my USC spouse.

Anyone else? Which line should it be? I suppose this is a small detail but it's one that could make a lot of time difference, I think.

[payxibka 10,045]

Anyone else? Which line should it be? I suppose this is a small detail but it's one that could make a lot of time difference, I think.

Easiest answer is to simply ASK the crowd control officer...... I did and we were directed to the USC line...

[RandyandRina 2]

3 hours should be enough.

[pushbrk 12,569]

I am sure it varies by POE but when Claudeth came through LAX it took her 45 minutes form deboarding until she came out of the customs area and I saw her smiling little face

I've heard the same but there are two CBP areas at LAX. I waited more than two hours for my wife at the Tom Bradley International Terminal. The time needed can vary widely based on how many planes land near the same time.

DFW and ORD are both very busy but more importantly, changing airlines and/or terminals can be very time consuming, particularly at DFW. I would take all factors into account.

[Lansbury 19]

I would say at least three hours, remember the arrival time given is normally when the aircraft lands, not when it gets to the gate. Also you have to be at the gate for the onward flight before the flight closes for boarding, and the time given for departure is the push back time.

So 3 hours between arrival and departure isn't 3 hours of available time for the immigration process and transferring flights.

[payxibka 10,045]

I would say at least three hours, remember the arrival time given is normally when the aircraft lands, not when it gets to the gate.

Nope, in the airline world there are 4 reported times... out (from the gate) , (take) off, on (landed) and in (to the gate)... What you see on your itinerary as well as on the airport monitors is scheduled/anticipated out from the gate and scheduled/anticipated into the gate......

[Lansbury 19]

I would say at least three hours, remember the arrival time given is normally when the aircraft lands, not when it gets to the gate.

Nope, in the airline world there are 4 reported times... out (from the gate) , (take) off, on (landed) and in (to the gate)... What you see on your itinerary as well as on the airport monitors is scheduled/anticipated out from the gate and scheduled/anticipated into the gate......

Not in the ten years I worked at Heathrow it wasn't, the itinerary and monitors showed the wheels down time. I had the system on my desk and could seen when aircraft where pushed back etc, and for arrivals when airborne from departure point, in the zone, on finals and landed, and how those times compared to schedule and itinerary times.

[payxibka 10,045]

I would say at least three hours, remember the arrival time given is normally when the aircraft lands, not when it gets to the gate.

Nope, in the airline world there are 4 reported times... out (from the gate) , (take) off, on (landed) and in (to the gate)... What you see on your itinerary as well as on the airport monitors is scheduled/anticipated out from the gate and scheduled/anticipated into the gate......

Not in the ten years I worked at Heathrow it wasn't, the itinerary and monitors showed the wheels down time. I had the system on my desk and could seen when aircraft where pushed back etc, and for arrivals when airborne from departure point, in the zone, on finals and landed, and how those times compared to schedule and itinerary times.

Well I was in airlines for 10 years and heavily involved in operations control the last three years and I know exactly what we did...